Find out how to set up your computer from scratch without spending a penny.
You can easily spend hundreds of pounds purchasing the software that enables you to use your computer in the way it was intended, particularly when you factor in annual subscriptions and the like.
However, it is possible to kit out your computer with the basic applications that meet the needs of most 'average' computer users for free.
So, to help you cut the cost of using your computer we have listed all the programs you need to set it up from scratch without spending a penny.
To keep things simple we have restricted our list to include only the most popular free applications, however, you should be able to find almost any software you need from websites such as www.download.com and http://sourceforge.net.
Rest assured that each provider included in our list has a comprehensive 'Help & FAQ' section on their respective website so that even the computer-illiterate can take advantage of the free software they offer.
Operating Systems (OS) |
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| Product | Download from | Features included | |
| Ubuntu | www.ubuntu.com | Linux-based operating system that encompasses a web-browser, word processor, spreadsheet and presentation tools, email and calendar application, photo editing software and a media player all in one. | |
Web Browsers |
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| Product | Download from | Features included | |
| Firefox | www.mozilla.com/firefox | See the Firefox website for details | |
| Internet Explorer | www.microsoft.com/uk/windows/internet-explorer | See the Microsoft website for details | |
| Opera | www.opera.com | Check the Opera website for details | |
| Chrome | www.google.co.uk/chrome | Check the Google website for details | |
| Safari | www.apple.com/safari | Check the Apple website for details | |
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| Provider | Download from | Features included | |
| Gmail | www.gmail.com | Email account with anti-spam, built in chat, Google mail search and mobile access. Offers 7.3Gb storage (although this capacity is increasing all the time) | |
| Hotmail | www.hotmail.co.uk | Email account with 5Gb storage, anti-virus and anti-spam, instant messanger and email account consolidation tool | |
| Yahoo! Mail | www.mail.yahoo.co.uk | Email account with antivirus, antispam, new mail alerts, mobile access and unlimited storage | |
| AOL Mail | www.info.aol.co.uk/email | Email account with unlimited storage & anti-spam and anti-virus built in | |
| Thunderbird | www.mozilla.com/thunderbird | Email client with anti-spam, message tagging, advanced search & customisation functionality and email account consolidation tool | |
Security |
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| Provider | Download from | Features included | |
| AVG | http://.free.avg.com | Antivirus & antispyware | |
| Comodo | www.comodo.com | Antivirus & firewall | |
| Avast! | www.avast.com | Antivirus & antispyware | |
| Panda | www.pandasecurity.com | Antivirus & antispyware | |
| Avira Antivir | www.free-av.com | Antivirus, antispyware & firewall | |
| ZoneAlarm | www.zonealarm.com/security | Antivirus, antispyware & firewall | |
| Microsoft Security Essentials | www.microsoft.com/Security_essentials | Antivirus & antispyware | |
Communication |
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| Provider | Download from | Features included | |
| Skype | www.skype.com | Free internet calls using VoIP | |
Office Processing |
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| Provider | Download from | Features included | |
| Open Office | www.openoffice.org | Applications that facilitate word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics & databases | |
Audio/Video |
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| Provider | Download from | Features included | |
| MediaPortal | www.team-mediaportal.com | Free media centre that enables you to watch TV, play movies, view photos, listen to music & the radio, burns CDs and DVDs & launches external programs such as games | |
| Audacity | http://audacity.sourceforge.net | Sound recording & editing software | |
| VLC media player | www.videolan.org/vlc/ | Multimedia player for various audio and visual formats | |
| Winamp | www.winamp.com | Media player | |
Graphics |
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| Provider | Download from | Features included | |
| Gimp | www.gimp.org | Graphics manipulation software that enables you to retouch photos among other things | |
| Inkscape | www.inkscape.org | Vector graphics editor similar to Adobe Illustrator and Corel Draw | |
| Paint.net | www.getpaint.net | Image & photo editing software | |
| Faststone photo resizer | www.faststone.org | Image resizer | |
Utilities |
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| Provider | Download from | Features included | |
| IZArc | www.izarc.org | Create password protected archives for storage & unzip almost any type of archived file | |
3D Modelling |
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| Provider | Download from | Features included | |
| Blender | www.blender.org | Open source 3D model creation suite | |
| Sketchup | http://sketchup.google.com | Create, modify & share 3D models | |
